Trace — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈtrās/

Meaning & Definition of Trace

Trace (noun)

  1. a minute and often barely detectable amount or indication
  2. an amount of a chemical constituent not always quantitatively determinable because of minuteness
  3. a mark or line left by something that has passed; also, footprint
  4. either of two straps, chains, or lines of a harness for attaching a draft animal to something (such as a vehicle) to be drawn
  5. leader
  6. one or more vascular bundles supplying a leaf or twig

Trace (verb)

  1. delineate, sketch
  2. to form (letters, figures, etc.) carefully or painstakingly
  3. to copy (something, such as a drawing) by following the lines or letters as seen through a transparent superimposed sheet

Trace (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to draw or make apparent the outline of

    "trace your hand onto this piece of paper"

    similar: define, delineate, outline, silhouette, sketch
    related: line, bound, fringe, margin, skirt, edge, hem, rim, trim, frame, circle, compass, encircle, girdle, girth, loop, ring, round, surround, chart, diagram, draw, map (out)

  2. to go after or on the track of

    "police traced the burglar back to his apartment, where they discovered a ton of stolen loot"

    similar: bird-dog, chase, course, dog, follow, hound, pursue, run, shadow, tag, tail, track, trail, run after
    related: accompany, chaperone, escort, hunt, search (for), seek, eye, observe, watch
    opposite: guide, lead, pilot
    near: head

Trace (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a mark or series of marks left on a surface by something that has passed along it

    "the wolf came and went without leaving a trace on the hard, dry ground"

    similar: imprint, track, trail
    related: footmark, footprint, footstep, hoofprint, path, print, pug, rut, step, tread, artifact, evidence, leavings, relic, remain(s), remainder, reminder, remnant, residual, residue, sign, spoor, telltale, token, vestige, clue, cue, hint, indication, inkling, intimation, lead, suggestion, scent, shadow, whiff

  2. a passage cleared for public vehicular travel

    "an old trace that dates back to the days of the covered wagon"

    similar: arterial, artery, avenue, boulevard, carriageway (British), drag, drive, expressway, freeway, high road, highway, pass, pike, road, roadway, route, row, street, thoroughfare, thruway, turnpike, way
    related: causeway, autobahn, autoroute, autostrada, dual carriageway (chiefly British), interstate, motorway (chiefly British), superhighway, beltway, bypass, parkway, ring road (chiefly British), corniche, switchback, through street, high street (British), Main Street, backstreet, branch, bystreet, byway, crossroad, secondary road, shunpike, side road, side street, alley, alleyway, circle, lane, laneway (British), mews (chiefly British), place, close (chiefly British), cul-de-sac, dead end, corridor, track, trail

  3. a rough course or way formed by or as if by repeated footsteps

    "stay on the trace, or you'll get lost in these thick woods"

    similar: footpath, path, pathway, track, trail
    related: bridle path, towpath, alley, alleyway, bypath, byroad, bystreet, byway, passageway, walkway, cutoff, shortcut, lane, pass, passage, road, roadway, route, row, run, runway, street, thoroughfare

  4. a tiny often physical indication of something lost or vanished

    "a ship that appears to have vanished without a trace on the high seas"

    similar: echo, ghost, relic, shadow, vestige
    related: memento, remembrance, reminder, artifact, afterimage, aftertaste, balance, corpse, hangover, leftover, oddment, remainder, remnant, scrap, dreg(s), leavings, remain(s), residual, residue, rest

  5. a very small amount

    "doctors detected only a trace of bacteria in the blood sample but put the patient on antibiotics just in case"

    similar: ace, bit, crumb, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, hint, lick, little, mite, nip, ounce, particle, peanuts, ray, scintilla, scruple, shade, shadow, shred, skosh, smack, smell, smidgen, snap, soupçon, spark, spatter, speck, splash, spot, sprinkling, strain, streak, suspicion, tad, touch, drop in the bucket
    related: hoot, iota, jot, minim, minimum, modicum, semblance, syllable, tittle, vestige, whit, atom, dot, fleck, flyspeck, grain, granule, molecule, morsel, mote, nubbin, patch, scrap, dash, drop, pinch, part, portion, section, bite, nibble, taste, handful, scattering, smatter, smattering, dose, shot, chip, flake, fragment, shard, shiver, sliver, smithereens, splinter, tatter, clipping, paring, shaving
    near: abundance, barrel, boatload, bucket, bundle, bushel, deal, fistful, gobs, heaps, lashings (chiefly British), loads, lot, mass, mess, mountain, much, oodles, passel, peck, pile, plenty, potful, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, scads, stack, wad, wealth, volume, bonanza, embarrassment, excess, overabundance, overage, overflow, overkill, overmuch, oversupply, superabundance, superfluity, surfeit, surplus, chunk, hunk, lump, slab

  6. an almost imperceptible sign of something

    "there didn't seem to be so much as a trace of the truth to anything he said"

    similar: breath, flicker, glimmer, hint, suggestion, tang, touch, whiff
    related: inkling, intimation, scent, wind, evidence, indication, mark, sign
    near: permeation, pervasion, saturation

  7. the mark or impression made by a foot

    "followed the traces of the deer into the deep woods"

    similar: footmark, footprint, footstep, step, vestige
    related: hoofprint, pug, spoor, track, tread

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Trace

The most common words with a similar meaning to Trace:

British: carriageway
define, delineate, outline, silhouette, sketch, bird-dog, chase, course, dog, follow, hound, pursue, run, shadow, tag, tail, track, trail, run after, imprint, arterial, artery, avenue, boulevard, drag, drive, expressway, freeway, high road, highway, pass, pike, road, roadway, route, row, street, thoroughfare, thruway, turnpike

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Trace

Words with the opposite meaning of Trace:

guide, lead, pilot

Related Words for Trace

line, bound, fringe, margin, skirt, edge, hem, rim, trim, frame, circle, compass, encircle, girdle, girth, loop, ring, round, surround, chart, diagram, draw, map (out), accompany, chaperone, escort, hunt, search (for), seek, eye

Near Antonyms of Trace

head, abundance, barrel, boatload, bucket, bundle, bushel, deal, fistful, gobs, heaps, lashings, loads, lot, mass, mess, mountain, much, oodles, passel, peck, pile, plenty, potful, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, scads, stack

Word Forms of Trace

Inflections: traced, tracing

Derived words: traceless (adjective), traceability (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Trace

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from tracer to trace

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Trace

Words & Phrases Containing Trace

trace element, trace fossil, contact trace, leaf trace, memory trace, (can) trace one's history (back) to

Frequently Asked Questions about Trace

What does "Trace" mean?

"Trace" means a minute and often barely detectable amount or indication. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a minute and often barely detectable amount or indication. It has 9 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Trace"?

Other words for "Trace" include define, delineate, outline, silhouette, sketch, bird-dog, chase and course. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Trace" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Trace"?

There are 261 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Trace". Common alternatives include define, delineate, outline, silhouette, sketch, bird-dog, chase, course, dog and follow.

What is the opposite of "Trace"?

Antonyms of "Trace" include guide, lead and pilot. Near antonyms include head, abundance, barrel and boatload.

How do you use "Trace" in a sentence?

Examples of "Trace" in a sentence: "trace your hand onto this piece of paper"; "police traced the burglar back to his apartment, where they discovered a ton of stolen loot"; "the wolf came and went without leaving a trace on the hard, dry ground".

Is "Trace" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Trace" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Trace" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Trace" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+. It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts.

How do you pronounce "Trace"?

"Trace" is pronounced /ˈtrās/.